A new methodology is shifting the focus of the annual Analyst Value Survey onto the professional’s experience of analysts. Unlike previous years, where value was expressed in concrete services, the 2018 AVS is asking executives to describe the value of analysts in their own words. The survey is now publically live at analystvaluesurvey.com, via a Read more about New method for Analyst Value Survey[…]

Our recent article on IoT prompted a rejoinder from Saverio Romeo, Chief Research Officer at Beecham Research and visiting fellow at the Birkbeck Centre for Innovation Management Research at the University of London. I do not see the Internet of Things as a technology. I see the Internet of Things as vision and the implementation Read more about IoT is not technology, but vision[…]

Analysts and advisors following the Internet of Things (IoT) see many aspects to the sector’s massive underlying growth opportunity. We’ve taken a look at some of the early responses to the Analyst Attitude Survey. In other areas, advisors and analysts had a lot to say about the challenges facing vendors. With IoT, however, the opportunities Read more about IoT analysts: focus, but look for new market opportunities[…]

SageCircle research shows that overall analysts have a significant impact on IT buyers. However, each vendor in the community often has only a general perception of how much the analysts have an impact on their sales. Often, the perception is formed more by anecdotal information than systematic research, with stories filtering up from individual sales representatives about analysts negatively influencing deals. Vendors that do systematic research on analyst influence discover the broad and deep influence, both positive and negative, that the analysts have on deals. Analyst relations (AR) teams with a goal to become more strategic should institute a formal program for gathering sales impact data.

Unfortunately, it is not a simple task to gather sales impact data. If it was easy, then everybody would already be doing so. There are many factors that contribute to the difficulty in gathering sales data including:

Multiple types of data

Multiple potential sources of data

Multiple points within a sales cycle when an analyst could impact a deal

Lack of institutional relationship with the company’s leads management and sales teams

Lack of skills

Lack of formal measurement plan

Lack of bandwidth to do the work

While there are these barriers, none of them are so difficult to overcome that AR should not even try to institute a sales impact data program. By taking a phased approach, AR can start the process and add to it over time.

SageCircle can make it easy for AR teams to jump start an sales impact measurement program, either as a stand-alone effort or part of an AR-sales partnership program. We have plan builder workshops, best practices, SageToolsTM, examples and advice ready to help you launch an easy-to-manage program. Give us a call at 503-636-1500 or send an email to info [at] sagecircle.com to arrange a briefing.

SageCircle Technique:

Develop a measurement plan to gather sales impact data

Gather anecdotal data points from sales representatives who are calling AR for support

Identify which leads were generated by analyst commentary by adding questions to the leads qualification script used by the leads management function

Bottom Line: Measuring analyst impact on sales is critical for AR programs to establish credibility as a corporate strategic initiative and to garner additional resources. No single metric definitively proves analyst impact on company revenues. Therefore, AR must develop a portfolio of metrics that is both practical to collect and focused on the right measures. AR teams should select metrics that approach issues from different angles and fit their stage of AR Effectiveness-Typical, Advanced, or Leading Edge.

Question: Do you have a formal measurement programming for gathering sales impact data? If no, why not? If yes, what types of data do you gather and how?